Big cubano

With Al Montoya projected to start tonight for the Winnipeg Jets, I just thought it was only fitting to start a thread to talk about the possibilities a solid outing could generate in terms of starting against Chicago, and who knows? I suppose a win tonight would be the first order of the day, but there's plenty of reason within the big man himself to believe that he could do just that. Is this Al Montoya's chance to break into the NHL? It could be safe to say this is one of those games in Montoya's career, one of those games that could get him the next start if you know what I mean! BIG CUBANO!

With Al Montoya projected to start tonight for the Winnipeg Jets, I just thought it was only fitting to start a thread to talk about the possibilities a solid outing could generate in terms of starting against Chicago, and who knows? I suppose a win tonight would be the first order of the day, but there's plenty of reason within the big man himself to believe that he could do just that. Is this Al Montoya's chance to break into the NHL? It could be safe to say this is one of those games in Montoya's career, one of those games that could get him the next start if you know what I mean! BIG CUBANO!

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I would LIKE to believe a good game from Montoya would earn him another start but I have zero faith in Claude Noel.

So we now have a bench Pavs thread AND essentially a start Monty thread?

Just play well. The rest will sort itself out.
Wouldn't say it's THAT big of a game him.

I agree with Jet.

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I can see what you're saying, but I do believe this is a massive game in the career of Al Montoya, if a win here means another start (which is how I see this playing out) then I think this is a very important game...hope for the best.

People here keep saying Montoya is not an elite goalie, that might be true but can it be argued that he is the right guy for the Jets? When I think of the issues that plague Jets the biggest one is that Jets tend to get stuck in their defensive zone if the opposing team gains the blue line and establishes a strong forecheck. If that is one of the Jets' biggest defensive woe then isn't a guy like Monty contributing a lot more to the team than just his goaltending?

Montoya's puck moving skills mean that he denies the opposition atleast a few opportunities to establish a forecheck in the Jets zone every game, if this translates into avoiding even 2 shifts in the Jets zone than that's HUGE for the Jets. That alone is perhaps cutting down the shots against by atleast 3-4 a game. Jets strength is the speed and the quick transition game, having Montoya handle the puck and helping move it out of the zone helps the Jets offence as the Jets don't have to make 5 passes just to get the puck out hence giving us more chances to score on the rush (where we get like 80% of our goals). Montoya's aggressive puck handling skills mean that every game he's going to turn a dump-in play with the possibility of a strong opposition forecheck into a possible offensive rush for the Jets.

His puck handling skills cut down shots against us, people here keep saying that Montoya has not faced "tough shots" as Pavelec. Well, I disagree with that premise but even for the sake of argument I accept that premise, one could make a very good argument that Montoya makes life easy on himself by cutting down shots against through his puck moving ability (and ofcourse rebound control).

What I'm saying is that Monty has skills beyond just the typical goalie stuff that make him valuable for the Jets. Montoya brings more intangibles for the Jets that what he does in the goal.

Monty doesn't have to be "elite". All I want is league average goaltending, if he can give us that, then that combined with his intangibles make him a better goalie for the Jets at this point than Pavelec

His puck handling skills cut down shots against us, people here keep saying that Montoya has not faced "tough shots" as Pavelec. Well, I disagree with that premise but even for the sake of argument I accept that premise, one could make a very good argument that Montoya makes life easy on himself by cutting down shots against through his puck moving ability (and ofcourse rebound control).

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Exactly. How many of those "tough shots" result from Pavelec's own doing?

Monty doesn't have to be "elite". All I want is league average goaltending, if he can give us that, then that combined with his intangibles make him a better goalie for the Jets at this point than Pavelec

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I think the Jets are better served by solid-but-unspectacular goaltending more than inconsistent messes with flashes of brilliances.